I thought I'd try and liven this section up with a series of mini reviews as I've been watching a lot of gunshed recently and would be interested in hearing other people's thoughts on some of these films. Some I'm re-watching whilst others I'm only just getting round to watching for the first time.

[B]MY HEART IS THAT ETERNAL ROSE (1989)[/B]
Directed by Patrick Tam

Retired from the underworld Uncle Cheung now runs a moderately successful bar overlooking the beach with his pretty daughter Lap (Joey Wong). One evening a crime boss and old acquaintance asks Cheung for a favour to illegally smuggle his son into Hong Kong. Cheung reluctantly agrees and enlists the help of his son in law, Rick (Kenny Bee) and a crooked cop. Things go horribly wrong when the boss’s son is accidentally killed and Uncle Cheung is abducted by the crime boss. For safety Rick flees Hong Kong to the Philippines while Lap goes to local gangster, Godfather Shen (Chan Wai Man) to ask for help in getting her father back alive. Shen agrees to help on the one condition that Lap stays with him to be his woman, which she agrees to...but the one of many complications start when her husband returns from the Philippines six years later…

My Heart Is That Eternal Rose – can either be viewed as a love story dressed up as a gangster film or vice versa – whichever angle you look at it it’s simply a cracking film that will leave a long-lasting impression after the credits finish rolling. The film builds slowly, taking it’s time to unfold but while it is doing so it is painting characters in front of you that you actually care about making the explosive and bloody finale all the more poignant.

The film is also worth a look for a rare nasty role from a lecherous and uncouth Gordon Liu (complete with wonky, ill-fitting wig) who plays Godfather Shen’s right-hand man. Chan Wai Man is ice cold as usual and at first he doesn’t seem to be particularly nasty but he shows his true colours in the final third of the film.

Very highly recommended for those who like their gunplay with a bit of...heart.